There are the tentative rules and set up for the upcoming League, as discussed in the "Something New after Nation's Cup" Thread. If you'd like to voice any further opinions on the set up, or as a question, feel free to do so there.. I'd like to keep this thread JUST for sign up, so it'll be nice and easy for me to keep track of. Sign up is open until Jan. 3rd, and is open to anyone, regardless of rating, you just have to be a registered user (i.e not a guest)

1) You're committing to play one series of matches per week for 8-10 weeks (depending on the amount of signups). If you're gone for a week or two, you will be able to make it up later, as long as you inform me and your scheduled opponents. The week's matches will be posted Sunday night, starting on Jan. 4th. IF you anticipate an issue and need you games in advance, I will consider doing so.

2) When you sign up, you should indiciate what your prefered time to play is. There are two choices: Euro evenings(early afternoon in the states) or American Evenings(wee hours in Europe). This is simply to make it easier to schedule the match. Once your match for the week is posted, you should contact your opponent to set up the match. Hopefully, this will alevaite some of the scheduling issues that come up.

3) Players will be divided into group based on their composite rating on the 4th. I'm currently picturing 3 groups for each time choice, but that may change based on sign up.

4) Each match will be 7 games... you play all 7, regardless of the score in the series. Ties are fine. Standings will be first by Match Records, then by game record. Ties will be settled by head to head result. If head to head was a tie, we'll got to points scored head to head, then a coin flip. Unless BOTH players say otherwise, the 1st seven games I see on your history once the match is announced will be the ones that count. Standard etiquette applies. If there's any controversy with bots or anything along those lines, I will render a judgement based on the facts at hand.

5) the top two finishers in each division will go up a division, the bottom two will drop one.... there will be re-ceding as necessary to accomodate players leaving. New players coming in after the 1st season will start in the lowest league of their chosen time period.

6) There will be a 'champion's battle' among the winners of each division (gotta have bragging rights)

7) If a player has to leave mid-season, either a replacement will be found, or the players games will be nullified, depending what point in the season it happens, and it's impact on the other players.

sign me up.
preferred time is American evening, but I have a job that allows flexibility in my schedule. So either division is fine.

(so maybe 3 choices: Euro Evening, American Evening, Either)

And Wildfire, on the other link, set up the rules as amended from comments in top line of that link. Easier to find that way. I am still unsure of the scoring rules and the way people change leagues with new people added.

I am in too
My prefered time is Euro evening, on weekends i should have also more flexibility to play.

It would be nice if there is a new year starting and a new period of tournaments, that the starting problem could be fixed. As everyone knows this is a really deciding fact, espacially when u have the top leaugue, where are all players in, with very good skillz. I know DOW is working for that, but its unsure if they will be able to install this tool until the beginning of the next year.

Here is my proposal, how it could be handeled in this, and other following tournamnet sessions:
In the FED-Cup, it is usual, that there is a choice for a restart, if one of the teams has a doublestart. Why not also handling it this way in other tournaments.
Game 1 player A starts -> Game 2 player B start, and so on. Game 7 will than be randomized who starts, so u can at least be sure, that if u play the full 7 games, every player had at least 3 starts. If someone wons before. It could also also be handeled, that u can decide after the ticketchoice, for a restart or not. If u think ur tix are ok, so that u dont care for not starting, the game can be played.

Game 1: player A starts
Game 2: player B starts (not starting at the beginning but says he can compansate not-starting)
Game 3 Player A start

to answer a couple questions (and to have a post to remind myself where I left off)

- If the ability to choose who goes first is available when we start up in Jan., we will most definately use it... 3 for each person, with the last one being random, would be the most likely scenario. Otherwise, it'll have to just be random. I think doing some sort re-start thing is more trouble than it's worth... It'll all work out in the end.

-- I'd be happy to set up a Euro map league too, or perhaps do some sort of combined thing, but I'd like to get the logistics down first

-- So far, all the people who have signed up are VERY good players... those of you in the 1400 and 1500s are welcome too

Due to popular demand, I think I'm gonna forget about having different time zones... I agree with those who said the best should just play the best. If scheduling issues arise, we can always re-consider.

Suggest you delegate authority. One league chair to settle disputes, and group secretaries to record results. Better yet, have a set of three co-chairs. By the way, are the French allowed in this league?

There is a lot of luck in tickets and locos involved in the game as everybody knows. To present a "restart option" to the player who does not start the 2nd game (by coincident) when it would be "his or her turn" to start is ridiculous.

People will always use this possibility if their tickets do not please them regardless if they care to start or not.

BTW: Instead of inventing all these new rules, Schwen, you should (as the freshly crowned NC 2008 winner) write to DoW and FINALLY after almost 2 YEARS of waiting for it convince them to install the "change startplayer" option...after all we are paying customers. And the service by DoW for that long awaited option is awful, to put it mildly. DoW just does not seem to care for an update and they probably need some incentive beyond the petition that already exists. It might help when 200 to 500 players agreed to send an individual short pm or e-mail to DoW asking for rapid change. This might make an impression. We might consider starting a thread where we name a certain time when every player who is interested in that kind of update writes to DoW...they might not ignore a few hundreds of requests...every request is multiplied at least by the factor 20 (usually) as for every person who stating a certain request, there are at least 20 others who have the same request but do not bother writing.

DOW (Brice) has said sooo many times, that they will release a new version asap. There will be lots of new things eg. from wishlist, which will make playing more fun.

And Im quite sure Schwen would had write to DOW, if they wouldnt already know the situation.

One of the new things will be better ignore list, so I dont see messages in lobby from those people who I have in ignore, and they also cant join to my game. So dont onder why some people might not hear you after that...

After almost 2 years I do not really believe that. ASAP probably means in another 2 to 3 years.

And it is sad that new options will lead to more player exclusion and discrimination. I have noone on my ignore list and invite anyone to play in my games as you know...but I might consider "ignoring" Starrygirl...lol...she constantly sends rings to me in the lobby at times which can be quite unnerving.

For the League, IF the functionality to choose the 1st player is ready by then, the official rule will be alternating 1st player for the 1st 6 games, with the 7th being random. I definately do NOT think it's a good idea to start re-starting and such... too confusing.

Suggest you delegate authority. One league chair to settle disputes, and group secretaries to record results. Better yet, have a set of three co-chairs. By the way, are the French allowed in this league?

I don't think that'll be necessary... though if you're volunteering, assistance on getting stuff on the wiki would be most appreciated

I'm probably not gonna play for now, to make sure everything goes smooth, so it'll be fine.

The French are most definately allowed.. we take all comers here, someone's gotta be at the bottom.